People are looking for more from their employers. Rather than a flash mission statement in reception (1990s) teambuilding (2000s) benefits and stability (2010s) people are now looking for more.Working from home and hybrid working for many is just expected.
Organisations that show they do actually care for their people will be those not struggling to keep and find highflyers and dedicated passionate people.
In the past few months I have seen this as one of the key incentives for new clients contacting me for workshops. its certainly different from a few years ago when it was about insurance and duty of care.
Providing workshops to give people the understanding and tools needed to completely change their ability to ensure their personal safety definitely meets this need.
The added bonus for the organisation is it makes so much business sense as well.
Drop me a message to see how I can help your organisation.
#business #hr #people #safety
Security Service raise UK terror threat level.The threat to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) from terrorism is SEVERE.
#terrorism #threat #bomb #risk #tonywillis
Why hold a workshop people already know all this stuff !! No, they probably don’t.In every workshop I have held, stories are told by the attendees that friends and colleagues had not heard previously.
It takes a while for people to relax and get into the flow of the conversation but once one person starts the information flows. Getting this started comes from the scenarios and stories including mistakes I have made personally that people can relate to.
Once they see themselves in these situations or an incident, they recognise comes up then the stories really come to life. By the way the stories have no relationship to seniority, the same occurs to the most junior through to the most senior directors which is why many organisations prefer attendees for each workshop to be of similar level within the hierarchy, although I have noticed this start to be less noticeable in the past few years.
In organisations just like yours, I have heard and discussed everything including sexual assault, mugging, fraud, domestic violence, theft, terrorism, kidnap, and physical assault. At least 90% of those incidents and experiences have never been discussed with HR or colleagues and many not reported to the police. I have heard on several occasions, “It was easier to leave”.
Incidents that affect people, occur at home, to and from the place of work, during the workday, travelling and after work. Where do your responsibilities and duty of care start and end? Is it during the working day, is that only in the office or while working from home or off site? Is it as they travel to and from their place of work or on behalf of the business? Or, as I am noticing more and more, some organisations are taking a holistic whole life approach and supporting employees throughout.
Most people have no idea on how to prevent the same situation occurring again which is a worrying situation that many will carry unconsciously with them. This could result in people leaving, underperforming, or suffering from stress and anxiety.
During the workshops we work through a typical day of those attending and using a simple 3 step system, identify, understand, and learn how to manage possible risks. Everyone gets a chance to work through scenarios and then through a team challenge at the end we run through a worked example to make sure everyone truly understands the concepts and how to use that system all the time in the future.
As always get in touch if you believe supporting your people in this way would be a useful step forward.
#hr #people #training #team #business
Drug attacks have moved from spiked drinks to injecting someone, the cases I have seen reported so far are all of women, but this may not be the case. Although I have covered this before on my workshops as it was talked about in the 2000's it has once again gained notoriety due to recent attacks in the UK.The methods of defending spiked drinks was highly publicised by myself and others who train people on their safety and covered by the drinkaware campaign and a number of police forces. However there have been a number of cases reported recently including the Nottingham case in the BBC link.
Situational awareness is key in helping prevent this type of case but this becomes very difficult for most people during an evening out at a bar or club.
With people in very close proximity, possibly pushed together and in an area of strangers it becomes very difficult for the average person to prevent this type of attack.
My advice would be to ensure you are always part of a group of friends or colleagues who wont leave you. This sounds obvious but can be difficult if they assume you have met someone and may not intervene or raise the alarm. This is a significant issue in social gatherings and we forget that not everyone is like us, some people are pure evil.
Everyone should be aware that the effect of drugs could be similar to that of alcohol or completely different depending on the drug used. Additionally the amount of dosage and time for the drug to take effect varies along with the symptoms. Some will have an almost immediate effect while others may take a slower longer term to affect you significantly.
Some of these drugs will leave you with little memory of the events that took place and may not leave traces in your system for detection by the time you realise what may have happened. This makes it much harder for police to investigate and prosecute offenders.
Many assume these drugs are not readily available but that is not the case. Rohypnol, GHB and ketamine are probably the most commonly discussed but other drugs may include hypnotics such as zopiclone or the widely available zolpidem (Ambien), sedatives such as neuroleptics (anti-psychotics), chloral hydrate or some histamine H1 antagonists, commonly found recreational drugs such as ethanol, and less common anticholinergics, barbiturates and opioids.
Remember stay with a trusted safe group and double or triple check if one of the group wants to go off with someone you don't know.
#safety #people #events
There are so many reasons that self-defence training is not the right choice for businesses looking to improve the safety of their staff. I am a strong advocate of situational awareness and risk training. This is a story of the exception to the rule.Situational awareness training and understanding a simple methodology like the 3 step system I teach in workshops is much more likely to be used under stress and whilst in a state of fear and can be used immediately. This is a perfect fit for most businesses to ensure their people remain safe not only at work but to and from their place of work and in their out of work time and activities.
Despite what some people may tell you about a self defence course, for the majority of people they will never be able to use any of that in a life threatening situation. I have taught martial arts and sports such as MuayThai and MMA for over 20 years and know how hard it is for people to be able to effectively use these skills in the street. It takes a lot of training and repetition to be able to fight back under stress situations.
HOWEVER in some cases there is no alternative. The picture shows one of my staff, Emma and myself after a training session teaching at a charity that supports abused women and families. Situational awareness is part of what I teach at these events but sometimes due to the situation there is no choice but to fight back.
In most cases I would say this is not suitable for the majority of businesses but some people need immediate help in handling conflict. The levels of violence some people face on a regular basis would have most people shaking their head in disbelief.
My tip for most is to be aware of what is going on around you. If you dont have a system that enables you to do that easily then learn as soon as you can.
#safety #training #selfdefence
If anyone was in doubt that terrorists would strike again this should make you think again. I just wrote an article for Tactics Institute for Security and Counter Terrorism on lone wolf terrorism. The situation and circumstances are in abundance at present for both Islamist and Right-wing terrorism.
The botched withdrawl from Afghanistan, increased refugees and immigration along with concerns over lockdowns and covid passports.
All of these provide the fuel for discontent and radicalisation. I have discussed preparation for a terrorist incident with many organisations over the years and many have nothing in place.
#security #immigration #terrorism
If anyone was in doubt that terrorists would strike again this should make you think again. I just wrote an article for Tactics Institute for Security and Counter Terrorism on lone wolf terrorism. The situation and circumstances are in abundance at present for both Islamist and Right-wing terrorism.
The botched withdrawl from Afghanistan, increased refugees and immigration along with concerns over lockdowns and covid passports.
All of these provide the fuel for discontent and radicalisation. I have discussed preparation for a terrorist incident with many organisations over the years and many have nothing in place.
#security #immigration #terrorism
Kongsberg: Bow and arrow attack appears to be terrorism - officials
www.bbc.co.uk
The Danish suspect had converted to Islam and there were fears he had been radicalised, police say.
Who has people that travel on business and dont know this?The Wednesday tip. A fairly typical business trip hotel, its my room from last night.
Look at that door. No spy hole and no secondary lock. Anyone with room access has access to your room.
In a typical hotel, housekeeping, security, maintenance and possibly a number of others have access to your room. Couple that with people with serious intent and that is car too big a risk.
In this case a doorjammer or doorstop wedge could be used to significantly increase your personal security.
#hr #business #people #travel
Excellent tip! Thank you
What risks do your people take on their way to work every day.I sometimes feel that whoever designs railway pedestrian walkways has no concept of their security or safety other than falling on the track.
Here is yet another example of a bridge I walked over where there was no possibility of visibility around the next corner.
A lone individual is completely at risk of an incident by whoever is waiting at the next turn in the bridge.
With solid sides there is no visibility as you approach or for anyone to witness a problem and come to your aid.
Understanding personal security risk or awareness training is absolutely vital in keeping people safe.
#security #travel #HR #training #safety
